Game apparatus.



PATBNTED SEPT. 17, 1907.

.w. R. RIPLEY. GAME APPARATUS. APPLICATION FILED HAR- 20, 1907.

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L R Y mnwl m M m V T R T I m A PATENTED SEPT. 17, 1907.-

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W. R.' RIPLEY. GAME APPARATUS.

'APPLIOATION FILED HAIR. 20, 1807.

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WITNESSES:

ATTORNEY.

WILLIAM R. RIPLEY, OF MATTOON, ILLINOIS.

GAME APPARATUS.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Sept. 17, 1907.

Application ijled March 20, 1907. Serial No. 363,383.

To all whom "it may concern.-

Be it known that 1, WILLIAM R. RIPLEY, a citizen of the United States,residing at Mattoon, in the county of Coles and State of Illinois, haveinvented certain new and useful Improvements in Game Apparatus, of whichthe following is a full, clear, and exact description, reference beinghad to the accompanying drawings, forming a part hereof.

My invention has relation to improvements in shooting targets; and itconsists in the novel details of construetion more fully set forth inthe specification and pointed out in the claims.

In the drawings, Figure 1 is a side elevation of the invention; Fig. 2is a top plan thereof; Fig. 3 is a vertical transverse section on line33 of Fig. 1; and Fig. 4 is a front elevation.

The object of my invention is to combine in one structure a combinationtarget and wheel of fortune, thereby affording considerable amusement.The device possesses advantages which will be better apparent from adetailed description of the invention which is as follows:

Referring to the drawings, F represents a suitable frame having mountedthereon a front disk 1 provided with a series of marginal coloreddivisions d, (five colors being here selected). I11 front of the disk 1is mounted a rotatable target 2 having diametrically disposed arms 3, 4,the former serving as an index arm and terminating in a yielding leatheror other yielding tongue 5 which in the rotation of the target rubs upagainst a series of pegs 6 disposed along the inner circle of thecolored divisions d. i This is well understood in wheels of fortune. Thetarget is provided with a hollow shaft or spindle 7 whose centercorresponds to the bulls-eye of the target, the rear end of the spindlehaving secured thereto a ratchet disk 8 which is advanced inonedirection by a gravity pawl 9 pivoted to the adjacent end of areciprocating rod 10 operating in a guide-bearing 11, the inner end ofthe rod being connected to a connecting rod 12 which in turn has oneend'pivotally secured to a crank-disk 13, mounted on the frame F, thedisk being provided with a cam-section or enlargement c for a portion ofits periphery. Pivoted to one side of its center between lugs 14depending from the bearing 11, is a tripping lever 15 having an upturnedfinger 16 at one end immediately under the pawl 9, the opposite end ofthe lever being in the path of rotation of the earn 0 of the disk 13.The shaft 17 of the cam disk 13 is mounted on standards 18, and at itsopposite end terminates in a bevel friction (or gear) pinion 19 whichmeshes with a bevel wheel (or gear wheel) 20 mounted at one end of atransverse shaft 21 carried by standards 22, the opposite end of saidtransverse shaft carrying a peripherally toothed disk 23, on which aredisposed a tooth 24 every ninety degrees.

The center of the transverse shaft 21 is provided with a spool 25 overwhich wraps a cable 26 passing over a pulley 27, the free end of whichcable has secured thereto a driving weight W. This weight normally tendsto impart rotation to the shaft 21 and hence to the toothed-disk 23 inthe direction indicated by the curved arrow in Fig. 1, but is heldagainst rotation by the intercepting action of the adjacent end of atrigger 28 mounted to oscillate vertically on a bracket 29, the shortarm of the trigger terminating in an upwardly deflected wing or impactmember 80.

The operation is as follows: Should the rifle ball or.

bullet pass through the bulls eye or hollow spindle 7 of the rotatabletarget 2, it will impinge against the wing 30 of the trigger, the impactof the bullet tripping the trigger to dotted position shown in Fig. 1,whereby the disk 23 will be released, and under the action of the weightW will have a rotation imparted thereto as shown by the arrow in Fig. 1.This rotation will be communicated to the bevel wheel 20, thence tobevel pinion 19, shaft 17 and cam disk 13. The cam disk for a portion ofits rotation will advance the pawl 9 (through the connecting parts 10and 12), the pawl in turn advancing and giving a certain impetus to theratchet 8, which, being coupled to the hollow spindle 7 will impart arotation to the target 2. The latter will rotate till it stops oppositeone of the colored divisions d. The rifles or guns used are painted tocorrespond in color to the colors of the divisions d, and should thetarget arm stop opposite a division (1 whose color corresponds to thecolor of the gun used, the person wins. For a portion of its rotation,the cam disk of course retracts the pawl 9, but in such retractingmovement or back stroke it is desirable that the pawl not drag alongover the teeth of the ratchet to reduce friction. The ratchet istherefore relieved of the weight of the pawl on such back-stroke, by thetripping lever 15, the end of whose lighter and shorter arm is providedwith a pin or peg 31 which encounters the cam section 0 of the disk 13.Said cam section 0 as it rides over the pin 31, depresses the saidadjacent arm of the lever 15, this action tilting upward the oppositearm, whereby the finger 16 thereof picks up the pawl and prevents itfrom riding over the teeth of the ratchet on such back stroke.

Having described my invention, what I claim is:

1. In a game apparatus, a suitable frame, a rotatable target having ahollow spindle, suitable gearing for actuating said target, a motor, adevice for normally retaining said gearing and target against movement,said device adapted to release the gearing and permit the same to bedriven by the motor upon impact of the ball or missile passing throughthe hollow spindle, with the retaining device, substantially as setforth.

2. In a game apparatus, a suitable frame, 'a rotatable target having ahollow spindle mounted on the frame, a ratchet disk on the spindle, acrank-disk, a pawl actuated by the disk and engaging the ratchet, atrain of motordriven gearing coupled to the crank-disk, a triggerdisposed in the path of the opening of the hollow-spindle and normallyholding the gearing against rotation, said trigger being adapted to bestruck by the bullet fired through the hollow spindle, the impact of thebullet against the trigger releasing the gearing, whereby the target isgiven an impetus and a rotation, substantially as set forth.

3. In a game apparatus, a suitable frame, a rotatable target having ahollow spindle, mounted on the frame, a ratchet disk on the spindle, agravity pawl, a crank-disk coupled to the pawl, said crank disk having aperipheral cam-section, a tripping lever having one end disposed in thepath of the cam-section, and the opposite and weighted end disposedbeneath the pawl, a shaft coupled to a motor, intermediate gearingbetween said shaft and crank-disk, a peripherally toothed disk on saidmotor-shaft, a vertically oscillating trigger having one end bearingagainst a tooth of said disk and preventing rotation of'the motor-shaft,said trigger having a wing 01' arm disposed in the path of the openingof the hollow spindle of the target, the impact of the bullet firedtherethrongh against the wing, tripping the trigger and effecting arelease of the motordriven shaft and imparting rotation to the target,substantially as set forth.

In testimony whereof I aflix my of two witnesses.

signature, in presence WILLIAM R. RIPLEY.

Witnesses:

R. A. BARENTHER, C. H. Hoo'rs.

